Advancing the Arts in San Antonio
The University of Texas at San Antonio has joined with the Southwest School of Art to bring SSA’s arts programs, assets and resources into UTSA, reflecting a renewed dedication to supporting high-quality arts education for the benefit of the entire San Antonio community—from youth to lifelong learners—and honoring and preserving the beauty and history of the SSA campus in its transition to the UTSA Southwest campus.
Prior to completion of the integration in July 2022, UTSA and SSA enjoyed a long-standing and shared commitment to expand arts education, learning and public engagement in the San Antonio community. Building on that relationship, this collaborative effort spurs cultural and economic growth through the effective use of resources, increases community engagement, generates cross-disciplinary and cross-cultural exchange, and elevates creative literacy through an expansion of teaching and studio space.
These efforts are organized under the UTSA College of Liberal and Fine Arts, enabling the integration of SSA’s Bachelor of Fine Arts program, expanded community offerings and partnerships, and preservation of SSA’s historic assets. Programming will be anchored at the UTSA Southwest Campus, the historical site of the Southwest School of Art, which occupies several buildings in downtown San Antonio, including the former Ursuline Convent & Academy, which was built in 1851 along the San Antonio River. The site promotes education and enrichment in close proximity to numerous downtown cultural and arts centers, including the Tobin Center for the Performing Arts.
Honoring the Vision
To honor the vision of the founders of SSA, UTSA will maintain SSA’s name and brand in future naming of the new school to continue the legacy of the SSA campus for future generations.
UTSA+SSA: Ed Conroy
Ed Conroy, Special Assistant for Development Initiatives at UTSA and former Development Director for the Southwest School of Art, shares his appreciation for the donor community and discusses the major role they will continue to play in making high-quality art education available for all.
San Antonio is the cultural heart of Texas, and we are deeply committed to collectively ensuring that this new school is truly interdisciplinary and continues to be a catalyst, a protector and a voice for creative ideas, collaborations and energy.
